Tired of drinking the same old alcohol every time you go out or get together with friends? Want to try something new but don’t want to take a risk on an expensive, yet unfamiliar bottle? Don’t worry. We did the work of comparing many online lists created by several whiskey experts and reviewers and found the brands that are usually found among their top ten.
For our list, we picked the whiskeys that were generally reviewed better than Jack Daniel’s, but as with any product, some will perform better in one category than another. We didn’t rank these in order of price or quality, but we are confident that you will enjoy a class of any of these a little bit more than your usual brand.
#10 Wild Turkey
Drinking whiskey.
- From: Lawrenceburg, Kentucky
- Taste: Honey, toffee, oak, spices, almonds, fruits, orange peel
- Popular bottle: Wild Turkey 101
Wild Turkey
Drinking whiskey.
Wild Turkey is Matthew McConaughey’s favorite whiskey and offers a wide variety of flavors, ages, and profiles. Wild Turkey 101 aged for six to eight years. It received the Editor’s Choice Award from Whisky Magazine in 2012. The now-well-received Bottled-in-Bond is aged for 17 years.
#9 George Dickel
Drinking whiskey.
- From: Tullahoma, Tennessee
- Taste: cinnamon sugar, vanilla, maple, oak, spices, toffee
- Popular bottle: Bottled in Bond Tennessee Whiskey
George Dickel
A glass of whiskey.
George Dickel has the second-largest distillery in Tennessee, right behind Jack Daniel’s. Even though it is an American brand, it uses the Scottish spelling of “whisky” for its bottles because George Dickel said his whiskey was as good, smooth, and as high-quality as the best whiskies in Scotland.
George Dickel won the Best Tennessee Whiskey award in the 2015 Annual San Francisco World Spirits Competition. The George Dickel Rye Whisky won double gold awards, and the George Dickel Barrel Select Tennessee Whisky also earned a gold designation.
#8 Old Forester
A glass of whiskey.
- From: Louisville, Kentucky
- Taste: Fruits, spices, caramel, oak
- Popular bottle: Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style
Old Forester
Pouring whiskey.
Old Forester holds the distinction of being sold continuously longer than any other whiskey (about 155 years) and was the first bourbon brand sold only in sealed bottles. It was originally sold in pharmacies as medication and was produced legally during prohibition.
The Old Forester Birthday Bourbon won the “best bourbon”, “double gold medal”, “gold medal”, and “silver medal” at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, the “Best bourbon aged under 10 years” designation in Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible, and was the “American Whiskey of the Year” at Malt Advocate WhiskyFest New York.
#7 George T. Stagg
whiskey glasses.
- From: Frankfort, Kentucky
- Taste: Toffee, fudge, vanilla, coffee
- Popular bottle: George T. Stagg
George T. Stagg
whiskey in a glass.
This is a whiskey that is only produced in limited quantities every year — with one release in the fall, and a second release in the spring. It won three gold medals and three double gold medals at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. It also won the Chairman’s Trophy at the New York Ultimate Spirits Challenge, and was given the “Best North American Whiskey” award at the World Whiskies Awards.
#6 Michter’s
Inside a whiskey distillery.
- From: Louisville, Kentucky
- Taste: Brown sugar, fruit, butterscotch, charred wood
- Popular bottle: Michter’s 10-Year
Michter’s
Pouring whiskey.
According to folklore in Pennsylvania, George Washington visited the distillery where Michter’s was produced and bought the whiskey for his soldiers to keep them warm. Recent Michter’s products are not produced at the distillery anymore. The Michter’s 10-year single barrel vintage was one of the best-reviewed whiskeys in 2023 and 2024.
#5 Jim Beam
A whiskey tasting.
- From: Clermont, Kentucky
- Taste: Oak, cherries, vanilla, caramel
- Popular bottle: Jim Beam White Label
Jim Beam
Whiskey in a glass.
Jim Beam is one of the most popular brands of bourbon in the entire world and offers several different vintages and drinks for various tastes. The Jim Beam Black bottle won double gold at the 2009 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, and also won a Gold Outstanding award at the 2013 International Wine and Spirit Competition.
#4 Weller
Whiskey in a glass.
- From: Frankfort, Kentucky
- Taste: Cinnamon sugar, vanilla, fruits
- Popular bottle: W. L. Weller 12-Year
Weller
A whiskey drink.
Weller is well-known for using a mix of corn and wheat, whereas most other whiskey brands use corn and rye. The William Larue Weller won the 2017 Double Gold medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition; the Old Weller Antique 107 won the Gold Medal at the New York World Wine & Spirits Competition in 2016, and whiskey reviewer at Spirits, Jim Murray, called the William Larue Weller bourbon the “Second Finest Whisky in the World”.
#3 Colonel E. H. Taylor, Jr.
A mixed whiskey drink.
- From: Frankfort, Kentucky
- Taste: Spices, vanilla, toffee, tobacco, sweet corn
- Popular bottle: E. H. Taylor, Jr. Single Barrel
Colonel E. H. Taylor, Jr.
A whiskey distillery.
Colonel Edmund Haynes Taylor, Jr. founded the Buffalo Trace Distillery where his namesake whiskey is now produced. He was an active politician who fought to improve the quality of whiskey in the United States. There are now a number of collections in the E. H. Taylor, Jr. whiskey brand, which have all been received and reviewed highly, receiving the highest marks in several publications. Its awards include the silver medal at the 2024 International Wine & Spirits Competition, double gold at the 2024 Whiskies of the World, gold at the 2024 American Whiskey Masters, and many more.
#2 Woodford Reserve
Whiskey drinks.
- From: Versailles, Kentucky
- Taste: Fruits, florals, wood, spice
- Popular bottle: Woodford Reserve Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Woodford Reserve
Drinking whiskey.
Woodford is a relatively new whiskey, being introduced in 1996. It has since won several awards including double gold a handful of times, and gold and silver, at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. It is regularly included in the lists of best whiskeys every year.
Unfortunately, Woodford Reserve was found guilty of using unfair labor practices and union busting with its employees in 2024.
#1 Van Winkle
Pouring whiskey.
- From: Frankfort, Kentucky
- Taste: Vanilla, cherries, pecans, wood
- Popular bottle: Pappy Van Winkle 23-Year
Van Winkle
Pouring whiskey.
Properly known as the Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve brand produced by the Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery, this whiskey is a popular name among whiskey fans and experts. There’s a reason why it sits at the top spot on our list: it regularly enjoys this spot on other lists around the world. Yet because of its popularity and limited production, it can be nearly impossible to get your hands on.
The various expressions of this brand have won double golds at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, the “Spirit of the Year” award by Wine & Spirits magazine, the “Trophy for Worldwide Whisky” and the gold medallion from the International Wine and Spirit Competition, and more.
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